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Battlefield Encounter Tool Kit
Reference Book: Star Wars Saga Edition Galaxy at War See also: GaW Military Campaigns The battlefields of the Star Wars universe are many and varied, so the tactics of enemies and allies should not be limited to routine assault or defense. Methods of warfare can be codified and civil or brutal and barbaric, but the aim is always the same- victory. When the price of victory becomes secondary to victory itself, all bets are off. This Battlefield Encounter Tool Kit features various rules and options for spicing up the battlefields of your military campaigns. Some of the rules presented here might prove deadly to unprepared heroes. You are advised to use them with care. Active and Static Defenses The warriors on the battlefields of the Star Wars universe use a variety of different defensive systems to maintain their positions. Active defenses include Automated Sentry Guns and Smart Mines, while static defenses include obstacles such as Razor Wire, Fragmentation Wire, Static Mines, and Repulsorlift Inhibitors. Ground-Based Artillery Most artillery on Star Wars battlefields is direct fire. The physics of blaster, laser, and turbolaser fire makes using them in an indirect-fire role either highly specialized- as with Orbital Turbolasers- or impossible. Despite their effectiveness and vast ranges, the use of direct-fire weapons is hampered by terrain and ground features. So indirect-fire artillery is still in use throughout the galaxy and has remained essentially unchanged for centuries. Advances in ordnance and delivery methods have peaked, and little improvement is made. Large shells packed with high-grade explosives are fired from cannons of varying sizes. The accuracy of these systems depends in large part upon the skills of the operators firing them and the expertise of the forward observes who direct them. One example of such a weapon is the Republic AV-7 Antivehicle Cannon used throughout the Clone Wars, specifically in the Battle of Christophsis. In addition to short-range Field Guns, medium-range Howitzers, and long-range Cannons, both guided and unguided missiles are also used in an indirect-fire role. Many ground-based artillery weapons are self-propelled, but some of these weapons must be towed or transported. Artillery Strikes Sometimes, the heroes need artillery support, especially in campaigns where battlefield adventures are common. The information presented below pertains to artillery strikes called in by heroes. All artillery strikes are considered to be Area Attacks. Artillery strikes, as detailed below, are requisitioned during the initial phase of the mission, just like any other gear (See Gear Requisition). When the mission begins, the heroes can set aside a certain amount of their mission funds for support without having to requisition entire gunnery emplacements or Starships. All the costs given below are for a single artillery strike of that stype; the one exception, Orbital Turbolaser, cannot be purchased when gearing up, but must instead be called in as a Command Special Order (See Rank and Privilege). A hero acting as a forward observer chooses a single square within his or her line of sight as the center of an artillery strike. The hero must possess a Comlink or some other way of relaying information to the artillery source, as well as a rangefinding device (Such as a Rangefinder or a pair of Electrobinoculars) and a Datapad for determining planetary coordinates. The hero makes a Knowledge (Tactics) check as a Standard Action against a DC of 15; if the check is successful, the artillery fires and its attack hits the target square a number of rounds later equal to the Delay values given below. If the hero's check fails, the attack is off-target by a number of squares equal to the amount by which the check fails. The Gamemaster determines the direction in which the attack is off. If, however, the Knowledge (Tactics) check was a success, the artillery strike hits the target square and makes an attack at +5 against the Reflex Defense of any creature, object, or Vehicle in the target square. The attack rolls gains a +1 bonus for every two points by which the Knowledge (Tactics) check exceeds a DC of 15. If an attack hits, the target takes full damage from the artillery strike; the target takes half damage on a miss. Likewise, compare the attack roll to the Reflex Defense of all targets within the attack's Splash radius; those targets take half damage on a hit and no damage on a miss. On subsequent rounds, the hero can call in additional artillery strikes on the same location as a Standard Action. If the hero chooses to target the same square, that hero can use the same Knowledge (Tactics) check result as was used on the last round instead of rolling a new Skill Check to re-aim the device.